Editor 's note : Ben Chavis is the co-author with Carey Blakely of `` Crazy Like A Fox : One Principal 's Triumph in the Inner City . '' Chavis received his doctorate in education and philosophy from the University of Arizona and served as principal of American Indian Public Charter School for seven years . Chavis has also worked as a real estate investor . Currently , he is replicating the model he established at American Indian Public Charter School in various schools throughout the U.S. and Canada .

Educator Ben Chavis says money is n't enough to improve schools run by incompetent administrators .

-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Teachers unions and politicians are constantly claiming that K-12 public schools need more money in order to produce good academic results . But does the data support the argument that our schools need more money to succeed ?

The Oakland Unified School District had a budget of $ 602 million for the 2008-2009 school year , according to Katy Murphy , an education reporter with the Oakland Tribune . That budget , which includes $ 77 million spent on consultants , means that the district spends an average of $ 16,270 per student !

What have we , the public taxpayers , received for our exceptionally generous financial support of the Oakland public schools ? According to the California Department of Education , the district 's reported 2008 California Standardized Test scores show :

1 . Of 707 eighth - and ninth-graders who took the California Standard test for general math : 1 percent tested advanced , 5 percent tested proficient and 94 percent failed by testing below grade level . See details about K-12 schools , teachers ''

2 . Of 2,506 ninth - and 10th-grade students who took the California Standards test in algebra : 0 percent tested advanced , 3 percent tested proficient and 97 percent failed the test .

How is it possible for a public school system to so liberally spend more than half a billion dollars and still fail to educate 94 percent or more students of all racial backgrounds ? Does anyone believe providing more money to these public school systems will enhance these students ' academic performance in mathematics ?

During my principalship at American Indian Public Charter School , we spent less than $ 8,000 per student , proving that schools did not need more money . We served a student population that is on average 98 percent minority , with 97 percent receiving free or reduced-price lunch and many who are non-English speakers and from single-parent families . AIPCS students spend three to four hours a day working on mathematics and English-language arts .

In 2009 , they excelled in academics , physical fitness and any standardized test that they were given . The hard work of these students and staff has paid off with virtually all of our eighth-graders testing advanced in algebra , including 100 percent of our eighth-grade black students , Mexican-American students and American Indian students .

Before I became its principal , people called American Indian Public Charter School the zoo . The neighbors hated it . They could n't stand the behavior of the students , who , with little supervision or control , wreaked havoc in the area .

Unfortunately , the students who decided to attend the school did not receive the academics and structure they so direly needed . The school was in many ways a failure , a joke , a sham .

When I took over as principal in 2000 , it was the worst middle school in Oakland . I told the board I would take the job only if they let me go my own way and do what I thought was best . I implemented a golden rule at American Indian Public Charter School for staff , students and families : If you act like a winner , you 'll be treated like a winner . If you act like a fool , you 'll be treated like a fool . The charter school is now one of the top-scoring schools in the state and is nationally recognized .

The United States spends more money on public education than any other country in the world . Yet , we still have a secondary public education system that ranks with Third World countries in preparing our children in English-language arts , mathematics , science and social studies .

Washington , D.C. ; Detroit , Michigan ; Los Angeles , California ; Kansas City , Missouri ; and numerous other cities throughout the United States are producing the same poor academic results at an extraordinary cost to the taxpayer and a tremendous academic loss to our students and country .

I believe all the money in the world would not be enough to improve schools run by incompetent public school administrators . We need proven leaders who can prepare our children to be competitive members in a free-market society .

The American public has been conned into believing that public schools need more money . Have you ever met a public school administrator who said they have enough money ?

President Obama is moving in the `` right '' direction by reforming public schools to be held responsible to the American public in return for more money . It 's very clear that most Americans want to ensure that accountability be attached to the stimulus money that is being awarded to all institutions , including public schools .

Next time you hear school officials or politicians begging for more money , ask them how large the district 's budget is and how many students are enrolled in their district . Then you do the math . After all , it 's your money they want to take .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ben Chavis .

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Chavis : `` All the money in the world '' is n't enough to help poorly run schools

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Author : I turned `` worst middle school in Oakland '' into a top-scoring school

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D.C. , Detroit , L.A. produce poor results at extraordinary taxpayer cost , Chavis says

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Obama is right to require accountability in return for reform money , Chavis says